Science and art collaborate on visualising biological data during Vivid SydneyGarvan, CSIRO’s Data61, and the Charles Perkins Centre at The University of Sydney are joining forces for a series of events held as part of Vivid Sydney, showcasing visualisations that are transforming how life scientists view data and communicate discoveries. https://www.garvan.org.au/news-events/news/science-and-art-collaborate-on-visualising-biological-data-during-vivid-sydneyhttps://www.garvan.org.au/news-events/news/science-and-art-collaborate-on-visualising-biological-data-during-vivid-sydney/@@download/image/hero_image_noTEXTArtboard 1@2x.png

Garvan, CSIRO’s Data61, and the Charles Perkins Centre at The University of Sydney are joining forces for a series of events held as part of Vivid Sydney, showcasing visualisations that are transforming how life scientists view data and communicate discoveries.

Media Release: 11 April 2017

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, CSIRO’s Data61, and the Charles Perkins Centre at The University of Sydney are joining forces for a series of events held as part of Vivid Sydney, showcasing visualisations that are transforming how life scientists view data and communicate discoveries.

Visualisation is increasingly important in life science as data grows rapidly in volume and complexity. These events will bring together the diverse community driving these creative approaches to daunting complexity, which includes experimentalists, computer scientists, illustrators, designers, and artists.

VIZBI 2017, the oldest and largest international meeting on Visualising Biological Data, comes to Australia for the first time this year. During this three-day conference, 21 world-leading researchers present visualisations driving key advances across a broad range of biological and biomedical research areas. The conference will be hosted at the Charles Perkins Centre in Camperdown, 14 – 16 June.

Dr Drew Berry – an Emmy and BAFTA-winning biomedical animator, will speak at the VizbiPlus event Bridging Science and Art, presenting a collection of visual treats explaining groundbreaking biomedical discoveries. The event, which is open to the general public, will be hosted at the Vivid Ideas Exchange at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia on 12 June.

At the one-day Data Visualisation Masterclass, attendees will get hands-on experience and learn from visualisation experts from different fields to apply their knowledge and create insightful visualisations to untangle data. The event will be held at the Charles Perkins Centre, 13 June.

Science inspires art at the VizbiPlus Challenge where people are invited to submit art to be exhibited at the Spunky Bruiser Gallery in Darlinghurst from 29 May until 17 June. Submission close 22 May, and Challenge winners will be announced at the VizbiPlus event, 13 June.

Dr Seán O’Donoghue, data visualisation scientist and team leader at CSIRO’s Data61 and the Garvan Institute, said that this year’s visualisations, ranging from fungi that limit food production, and new advances in chemotherapy for cancer reveal fascinating insights which could inspire future research breakthroughs. “Creating detailed animations to bring to life abstract and complex biology not only allows us to communicate cutting-edge science, it can also act a catalyst to drive new research because we can tell the story of what’s really happening at the molecular level,” said Dr O’Donoghue.

The VIZBI 2017 program is supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency and presented as part of the Vivid Ideas program at Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer and Vivid Sydney Executive Producer Sandra Chipchase said; “Vivid Sydney celebrates the creative space where art and technology intersect and the VIZBI program is a fantastic showcase of this concept. We’re delighted to be supporting this year’s event and to present it as part of the festival’s Vivid Ideas program.”

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Garvan) was founded in 1963 and is a world leader in gene-based medical research, pioneering study into some of the most widespread diseases affecting our community today.

Garvan is a multi-disciplinary facility with more than 600 scientists and PhD students working across six major research areas:

Each division investigates the origins, diagnostic markers and most effective treatments of disease with the ultimate aim of prevention and cure. One of Garvan’s greatest strengths is the extent of active cross-collaboration between the research areas and the consequent innovation this drives.

ABOUT THE GARVAN RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The Garvan Research Foundation was established in 1981 to provide fundraising and marketing support to Garvan’s medical research programs In addition to its fundraising activities, the Foundation's activities have since expanded to support Garvan with a Public Engagement Program. This initiative aims to increase understanding of the need for and importance of, Garvan's medical research across the broader community.

CSIRO’s Data61 is Australia’s leading data science & technology network. Data works with partners in industry, government and academia to solve challenges across all areas of the data lifecycle from capturing data and representing it, keeping data and making it safe, identifying patterns in it and helping them make decisions using it.

ABOUT THE CHARLES PERKINS CENTRE

The Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney is dedicated to easing the global burden of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions through innovative research and teaching. We're finding solutions that will inform and reform the health of the world. The cause and consequences of these diseases are more complicated than biology alone. That's why we have brought together scholars from a range of disciplines who are exploring the interconnectedness of our environment, food and health.

Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, which for 23 days, from 26 May to 17 June 2017, transforms the Harbour City with its unique colourful, creative canvas. In 2016 Vivid Sydney attracted a record 2.31 million attendees. Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. Vivid Sydney features large-scale light installations and projections (Vivid Light); music performances and collaborations – (Vivid Music including Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House); and creative ideas, discussion and debate (Vivid Ideas), all celebrating Sydney as the creative hub of the Asia-Pacific. Vivid Sydney is in its ninth year. For more information visit www.vividsydney.com